Digital Commons Network^™

Inventory Of Parks Division Lands For Threatened And Endangered Species Habitats And Exemplary Natural Communities, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Nebraska Natural Heritage Program is responsible for environmental review of state projects, including those on Parks division properties, to determine if they may impact state-listed threatened and endangered species. In addition, the Program maintains a statewide database on natural communities and rare and imperiled species. This information is used to inform conservation decision-making, including land management decisions, with a goal of conserving Nebraska’s flora and fauna, our natural legacy. The two main objectives of this inventory project were first to improve the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s knowledge of threatened and endangered species and their potential habitat on Parks …

Cetacean Sightings Around The Republic Of The Maldives, April 1998, Lisa T. Ballance, R. Charles Anderson, Robert L. Pitman, Kathleen Stafford, Abdullah Shaan, Zaha Waheed, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

In April 1998, as part of a project to collect biopsy samples of putative pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in the waters around the Republic of the Maldives, Indian Ocean, incidental sightings of cetaceans encountered were recorded. Using modified line-transect methods and handheld binoculars, a total of 267 sightings of 16 species of whales and dolphins were recorded during 20 at-sea days in the northeastern part of the atoll. Significant results include the following: (1) cetaceans were abundant and species diversity was high, including nearly every pantropical species of pelagic cetacean; (2) the spinner dolphin (Stenella …

Hydrologic Events And Water Quality In The Pigeon River, Ottawa County, Michigan, Neil W. Macdonald, Richard R. Rediske, Jonathan E. Van Denend

Peer Reviewed Publications

The Pigeon River drains a 16,765-ha agricultural watershed in western Ottawa County, Michigan and discharges into south-central Lake Michigan. Extensive areas of wetlands in the upper watershed were drained in the 1920s, causing significantly altered hydrology characteristics by flashy discharges during storms and periods of snowmelt. We studied stream chemistry and hydrology for a four-year period between September, 1996, and October, 2000, to determine water quality status, to estimate annual nutrient exports, and to evaluate the effects of different seasonal flow types. Results of our study confirmed that the upper reaches of the Pigeon River experience chronically degraded water quality, …

Windows Are Key To Keeping Warm In Winter, Donna Falkenborg

All Current Publications

“With the price of fuel skyrocketing, now is the time to think about energy-saving projects around the house, and the best place to start is with your windows,” advises Leona K. Hawks, Utah State University Extension housing specialist.

Renters, Too, Can Save On Utility Costs, Donna Falkenborg

All Current Publications

“Most energy conservation information is designed for homeowners, even though an increasing number of people are renting,” says Leona K. Hawks, Utah State University Extension housing specialist. “Many renters develop a short-timer mentality and don’t worry much about energy savings. However, utility bills do add up quickly so renters may wish to conserve on their energy use,” she advises.

Spatial Assessment Of Nonpoint Phosphorus Sources Using Streambed Sediment Monitoring In The Kings River Basin, Nw Arkansas, Jason W. White

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study of the Kings River Basin provides a watershed-scale assessment of streambed sediment-Phosphorus (P) and its sources on the landscape. The Kings River drains into Table Rock Lake where surface algal blooms have concerned water scientists and disrupted summer tourism. There are questions about how sediment loads, widespread poultry and cattle operations, and sewage treatment plants are affecting water quality. Previous water quality studies across the U.S. have generally evaluated watercolurnn P. In contrast, few studies have used streambed sediment monitoring to detect P levels at a watershed-scale, and none have been attempted in the Kings River Basin. Sediment …

Field Methodology For The Determination Of The Prevalence Of Giardia Cysts And Cryptosporidium Oocysts Drinking Water And Its Association To The Development Of Diarrheal Disease In The Transylvania Region Of Romania, Rick J. Bauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to analyze the drinking water of 69 individuals living in the Transylvania region of Romania for the presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. The ultimate objective was to determine if a correlation exists between the presence and concentrations of these two protozoa and the reported frequency and average severity of diarrheal disease in the study group members.

To accomplish this goal, a collection, emulsion, concentration, labeling, and identification method had to be developed that could operate effectively in an international field setting. The protocol selected included the collection of samples using a compressed …

Species And Ecosystem Conservation: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Tim W. Clark, Michael J. Stevenson, Kim Ziegelmayer

Yale School of the Environment Bulletin Series

No abstract provided.

Abundance, Distribution And Population Characteristics Of Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus Fuliginosus, Desmarest 1817) In Yellagonga Regional Park, Amy Chang

Theses : Honours

Yellagonga Regional Park is located in the northwest corridor of Perth and constitutes 1400 hectares of wetlands, parkland, open forest and open woodland. Few studies have been conducted on the native fauna in the Park's upland habitats. For this reason, a study of the abundance and distribution of western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) was conducted. A walked survey using direct counts and individual recognition of kangaroos during winter, recorded a total of 123 kangaroos, 51 pouch young and 23 unidentified individuals in Yellagonga Regional Park, and a further 24 kangaroos and 18 pouch young at Edith Cowan University's Joondalup campus. …

Private Agro-Environmental Management: Green Business Rising, David E. Ervin, Frank Casey

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article focuses on the role of business environmental management (BEM) in the food industry. Types of BEM; Benefits of implementing the practice; Importance of giving producers flexibility; How private strategies and ventures may succeed. This article is adapted from a keynote address prepared for Challenging the Agricultural Economics Paradigm, a symposium honoring Luther G. Tweeten, Anderson Professor of Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy, September 10-11, 2000, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Evolving Tenure Rights And Agricultural Intensification In Southwestern Burkina Faso, Michael Kevane, Leslie C. Gray

Economics

Popular and official representations of the environment in Burkina Faso present soils as fragile and potentially subject to catastrophic collapse in fertility. In the cotton growing zone of southwestern Burkina Faso, researchers and policy makers attribute changes in land cover and land quality to population growth. This paper presents evidence questioning the dominant "population-degradation narrative" as applied to Burkina. We find that farmers are intensifying their production systems. While population has led to land scarcity, farmers are responding to both the resulting uncertainty in land rights and reductions in soil quality by intensifying the production process. Investments are used both …

Wa Soil Erosion Under Investigation, George Richard Dr

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A survey of soil erosion at 70 sites throughout Western Australia, recently completed as a part of a National Reconnaissance Survey, has shown that erosion is occurring at an unsustainable rate. While still to be compiled into a national publication, Dr Richard George reports on the Western Australian results, and discusses options for management and further investigation.

Department Of Fisheries Annual Report To Parliament 2000 - 2001, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

In accordance with Section 62 of the Financial Administration and audit Act 1985 and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994, I submit for your information the Annual report to Parliament of Fisheries WA for the financial year ending 30 June 2001.

The annual report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Administration and audit Act 1985 and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994.

2000/2001 was a year for Fisheries WA marked by the challenges of managing change. The year saw a change of government and, as with all new governments, …

Assessment Of Metals Pollution In Sediments Of The Coastal Area, U.A.E, By Nawal Mubarak Al Qubaisi

Theses

The present study aims at the quantifying and assessment of heavy metals concentrations and pollution in the offshore sediments, off Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Thirty three samples were collected and subjected to grain size analysis, organic carbon and total carbonate determinations, mineralogical analysis and heavy metals (leachable and residual phasis) determination.

The contents of organic carbon of the study areas vary within a wide range. The maximum was recorded at Abu Dhabi and the minimum at Dubai. There is a trend of increasing organic carbon with the decrease of grain size. In contrast to organic carbon, carbonate contents in …

Adequacy Of Terrestrial Fauna Surveys For The Preparation Of Environmental Impact Assessments In The Mining Industry Of Western Australia [Thesis], Jason L. Fraser

Theses : Honours

The Environmental protection Authority has indicated that terrestrial fauna surveys as undertaken for the purpose of preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are not providing adequate information to enable decision-makers to assess development impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. In the absence of a protocol to assess current standards of terrestrial fauna surveys, 'best practice' was defined through discussions held with an 'expert panel', and quantified through a questionnaire. This study examined current standards of terrestrial vertebrate fauna surveys, prepared for the purpose of EIA, with 'best practice' as defined by relevant expert opinion. Strengths and weaknesses of terrestrial fauna surveys were …

Habitat Management Strategies For The Control Of Cereal Stemborers And Striga In Maize In Kenya, Z. R. Khan, J. A. Pickett, L. Wadhams, F. Muyekho

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize is the principal food and cash crop for millions of people in the predominantly mixed crop-livestock farming systems in Kenya. Stemborers and striga (Striga hermonthica) are major constraints to increased maize production in eastern Africa. An intercropping and trap crop system has been developed, using a ‘push-pull’ strategy, for the control of stemborers in small scale maize farming systems. The ‘push-pull’ strategy involves trapping stemborers on highly susceptible trap plants (pull) and driving them away from the crop using repellent intercrops (push). Napier grass (Pennisetum piirpiirenm Schumach) and Sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare sudanense Stapf J are used as trap …

Inhibition Of Erythrocyte Δ- Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (Alad) Activity In Fish From Waters Affects By Lead Smelters, Christopher J. Schmitt, Colleen A. Caldwell, Bill Olsen, Dave Serdar

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We assessed the effects on fish of lead (Pb) released to streams by smelters located in Trail, BC (Canada), E. Helena, MT, Herculaneum, MO, and Glover, MO. Fish were collected by electrofishing from sites located downstream of smelters and from reference sites. Blood from each fish was analyzed for δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity and hemoglobin (Hb), and samples of blood, liver, or carcass were analyzed for Pb, zinc (Zn), or both. Fish collected downstream of all four smelters sites had elevated Pb concentrations, decreased ALAD activity, or both relative to their respective reference sites. At E. Helena, fish from …

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin Induces Apoptotic Cell Death And Cytochrome P4501a Expression In Developing Fundulus Heteroclitus Embryos, Barbara Holland Toomey, Susan Bello, Mark E. Hahn, Susannah Cantrell, Peggy Wright, Donald E. Tillitt, Richard T. Di Giulio

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Fundulus heteroclitus embryos were exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during early development using nanoinjection or water bath exposure. TCDD caused developmental abnormalities that included hemorrhaging, loss of vascular integrity, edema, stunted development and death. The LC₅₀ and LD₅₀ of TCDD for Fundulus embryos were ~19.7 ± 9.5 pg TCDD/µl (water bath) and 0.25 ± 0.09 ng TCDD/g embryo (nanoinjection). To identify a possible cause for these developmental abnormalities we analyzed the effects of TCDD on apoptotic cell death and cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) expression in the embryos. TCDD exposure increased apoptotic cell death in several tissues including brain, …

Design Of A Laboratory Secondary Hazard Study, David A. Goldade, Peter J. Savarie, Jerome C. Hurley, Stanley A. Gaddis, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Factors influencing the design and execution of a secondary hazard study are presented using the anticoagulant rodenticide, difethialone, as a model. Frequently, regulatory agencies require a determination of the potential hazard posed to non-target species by the application of pesticides. This hazard can occur through: 1) primary hazard, direct consumption of the bait or formulation containing the pesticide, or 2) secondary hazard, indirect consumption of the pesticide via ingestion of biological matrices such as animals or plants containing pesticide residues. In making this determination, the selection of appropriate test species as well as routes and level of exposure are critical. …

Introduction To Pesticides And Wildlife, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A pesticide is a substance intended for destroying, repelling or mitigating any animal, microorganism or plant pest. While pesticides are commonly chemical agents, biological or physical agents can also be pesticides. Many people equate the term pesticide with insecticide. However, there are a plethora of pesticides for which insects are not the target pest. Examples include herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, acaricides, larvacides, etc. Additionally, pesticides are not limited to toxicants, but also include repellents, attractants and growth regulators (1 ) .

Pesticides are nearly ubiquitous in today's world. In agriculture, insecticides, nematicides and herbicides are applied to plants and soil to …

Growth Rate Variability And Lipofuscin Accumulation Rates In The Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus, Se-Jong Ju, David H. Secor, H. Rodger Harvey

OES Faculty Publications

To better understand growth and age-pigment (lipofuscin) accumulation rates of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus under natural conditions, juveniles (33 to 94 mm carapace width) were reared in outdoor ponds for over 1 yr. Growth rates, measured by carapace width, during summer and fall exceeded all those reported in the literature; the initial carapace width of 59 ± 14 mm (mean ± SD) increased to 164 ± 15 mm within a 3 mo period. No growth occurred during winter months (November to April) at low water temperatures. Growth rates of crabs in ponds were substantially higher (von Bertalanffy growth parameter …

"References" For Carnivore Conservation, John L. Gittleman, Stephan M. Funk, David Macdonald, Robert K. Wayne, Eric M. Gese

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

119-page bibliography of works cited in in CARNIVORE CONSERVATION, edited by John L. Gittleman, Stephan M. Funk, David Macdonald, and Robert K. Wayne, Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Includes approximately 2,000 items.

Experimental Infection Of Nontarget Species Of Rodents And Birds With Brucella Abortus Strain Rb51 Vaccine, Matt C. Januszewski, Steven C. Olsen, Robert G. Mclean, Larry Clark, Jack C. Rhyan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The Brucella abortus vaccine strain RB51 (SRB51) is being considered for use in the management of brucellosis in wild bison (Bison bison) and elk (Cervus elaphus) populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area (USA). Evaluation of the vaccine’s safety in non-target species was considered necessary prior to field use. Between June 1998 and December 1999, ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii, n=21), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus, n=14), prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster, n=21), and ravens (Corvus corax, n=13) were orally inoculated with SRB51 or physiologic saline. Oral and …

Serological Responses Of Coyotes To Two Commercial Rabies Vaccines, Frederick F. Knowlton, Marianna Roetto, Deborah Briggs

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Between August 1993 and September 1994 we documented serological responses of coyotes (Canis latrans) vaccinated with two commercial rabies vaccines licensed for use in domestic dogs. Serologic responses were documented by testing for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies with the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) at 30, 90, 180, 270, and 365 days post-vaccination. All coyotes vaccinated with Imrab 3^® (Rhone-Merieux, Inc.), and 75% of those vaccinated with Dura-Rab 3^® (Immunovet, Inc.) seroconverted, as evidenced by the presence of antirabies antibody titers ≥1:5 in one or more of the five post-vaccination samples. The percent of coyotes …

So You Want To Work With Wolves?, John A. Shivik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Growing up with three older sisters was a bit like being raised by wolves. One of their favorite games was called “stop hitting yourself.” To play, I was immobilized, and then with my arms overpowered, I was forced to repeatedly pummel my own noggin while they uttered the name of the game. Watching yourself hit yourself, feeling the pain and humiliation, yet being unable to stop is somewhat like being a federal biologist working with wolves. I’ve learned humility from my experiences but also formed the opinion that if you want to work with wolves, first consider medication; if that …

Non-Target Hazard Assessment Of Using Drc-1339 Avicide To Manage Blackbirds In Sunflower, John D. Eisemann, George M. Linz, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Terrestrial hazard assessments were conducted for the spring blackbird baiting program to protect sunflower crops. Risk Assessment methodology proposed by the Ecological Committee on FIFRA Risk Assessment Methods (ECOFRAM) and the method currently used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (LD₅₀s/ft²) were compared for their predictive strengths and for the ease of adapting the assessment to site specific conditions. While the ECOFRAM and LD₅₀s/ft² methods identified the same groups of organisms as being at risk, the flexibility of the ECOFRAM methodology allowed more latitude in adapting the assessment to unique behaviors of individual …

Estimation Of Red-Winged Blackbird Mortality From Toxic Bait Application, James F. Glahn, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Application of slow-acting toxic bait is one method of reducing local populations of depredating blackbirds. Estimating numbers of birds killed in such baiting operations is difficult because affected birds die off-site and are seldom recovered. We conducted bioassays and flight pen studies of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) with a slow-acting, toxic brown rice bait to determine whether bird mortality could be predicted accurately using the Poisson and binomial discrete probability distributions. Bioassays confirmed that brown rice treated with 2% (w/w) 2-chloro-p-acetotoluidide was effective as a 1-particle lethal bait for redwings. Within a 0.2-ha flight pen, we offered this …

Ecotoxicological Risks Of Potential Toxicants For Brown Tree Snake Control On Guam, John J. Johnston, Richard E. Mauldin, Peter J. Savarie, Joseph E. Brooks, Thomas M. Primus

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is a nocturnal, arboreal, rear-fanged, mildly venomous, colubrid snake which can reach lengths of up to 2.3 m and weigh as much as 2 kg(1). Originally, the species' range included the northern and eastern coasts of Australia, Papua New Guinea and nearby islands (2). It is believed that sometime in the 19501s, that snakes were inadvertently transported from New Guinea to Guam, where they proliferated (3). By the mid-1960’s, marked decreases in Guam's bird life were observed. By the mid-1980’s, snake densities were estimated at 50 to 100/hectare (13,000 to 26,000/sq mile), …

Chlorophacinone Residues In Rangeland Rodents: An Assessment Of The Potential Risk Of Secondary Toxicity To Scavengers, Thomas M. Primus, John D. Eisemann, George H. Matschke, Craig Ramey, John J. Johnston

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Field studies were conducted in California to assess efficacy of chlorophacinone-treated steam-rolled oats for controlling rangeland rodents. An objective of these studies was to assess the potential hazards of chlorophacinone residues in rangeland rodent carcasses and livers to mammalian and avian scavengers, especially raptors. Belding's ground squirrels, valley pocket gophers and Microtus spp. carcasses collected during the efficacy studies were analyzed for chlorophacinone residues. The method limit of detection (MLOD) for liver and carcass tissue samples averaged 0.036 μg/g and 0.034 μg/g, respectively. Chlorophacinone residues in Belding's ground squirrel (n=62) liver and carcass tissue ranged from Microtus sp. (n=3) tissue …

Pathology Of Brucellosis In Bison From Yellowstone National Park, Jack C. Rhyan, Thomas Gidlewski, Thomas J. Roffe, Keith Aune, L. Michael Philo, Darla R. Ewalt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Between February 1995 and June 1999, specimens from seven aborted bison (Bison bison) fetuses or stillborn calves and their placentas, two additional placentas, three dead neonates, one 2-wk-old calf, and 35 juvenile and adult female bison from Yellowstone National Park (USA) were submitted for bacteriologic and histopathologic examination. One adult animal with a retained placenta had recently aborted. Serum samples from the 35 juvenile and adult bison were tested for Brucella spp. antibodies. Twenty-six bison, including the cow with the retained placenta, were seropositive, one was suspect, and eight were seronegative. Brucella abortus biovar 1 was isolated from …